A Massachusetts worker ended up in the middle of a rescue so unusual that firefighters had to bring surgeons to an industrial site to help get him out.
The worker’s arm became trapped in a conveyor at a Newport Materials facility in Westford on Friday, Aug. 14, leaving him stuck roughly 10 feet above the ground. The [Westford Fire Department responded](https://westfordcat.org/2026/08/groton-road-industrial-accident/) after an emergency call came in around 11:18 a.m.
Getting him down was not simply a matter of shutting off the machinery and pulling him free. His arm was so severely trapped that medical personnel had to perform a surgical procedure at the scene while firefighters and technical rescue crews worked around them.
The operation lasted more than two hours. Remarkably, officials said the injured worker remained conscious, alert, and in good spirits through the ordeal.
Surgeons Joined Firefighters 10 Feet Above the Ground
Video from the scene showed a substantial emergency response surrounding the conveyor, with the worker secured in a harness while receiving medical care.
The response included Westford firefighters and police, the Essex County Technical Rescue Team, and medical personnel. Surgeons from Lowell General Hospital and Lahey Hospital were brought in because of the complexity of freeing the man’s arm.
Dr. Robert Ball, a Lowell General Hospital surgeon with Tufts Medicine who helped with the rescue, told WCVB NewsCenter 5 that the large number of people working toward the same goal helped keep an extraordinary situation under control.
“Even in kind of, traumatic, chaotic experience. It didn’t feel that chaotic,” Ball said.
He also credited the first responders who had already stabilized the worker and kept him calm before the surgical team arrived.
Westford Fire Chief Michael Denehy said even the veteran emergency personnel at the scene had little experience to compare it with.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a first,” Denehy told WCVB. “And with the amount of experience on scene, I’m not the only one that said that.”
He called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” incident.
Crews successfully freed the worker at approximately 1:30 p.m. He was then lowered from the machinery and flown by Boston MedFlight for further treatment. Officials said he suffered serious injuries but was expected to recover.
Conveyor Belts Have Some Particularly Unforgiving Pinch Points
The circumstances that caused this particular worker to become trapped have not been publicly established, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed to WCVB that it is investigating.
Conveyors can present several mechanical entanglement hazards. OSHA’s conveyor safety guidance specifically warns about limbs becoming caught around shafts and “nip points,” areas where moving components come together and can pull clothing or body parts into machinery.
That general guidance does not establish what happened in Westford or whether any safety rule was violated. OSHA’s investigation will be responsible for determining the circumstances surrounding this incident.
The site is operated by Newport Materials, which produces asphalt and construction aggregates in Westford. According to the company’s history, Newport Materials was established in 2009 as an affiliate of Newport Construction Corporation and later expanded its Westford operations to include a quarry and asphalt manufacturing facility.
WCVB reported that Newport Materials had not responded to its request for comment as of Friday.
Even the Fire Chief Had Never Seen One Like This
For all of the specialized equipment and medical expertise involved, one of the more remarkable details may be how the worker handled two and a half hours trapped above the ground.
Officials said he stayed alert and in good spirits as firefighters, technical rescue specialists, and surgeons figured out a way to free him without making his injuries worse.
Ball said the coordination among the different teams prevented the scene from feeling as chaotic as its circumstances might suggest.
Denehy’s assessment was considerably simpler: In a career full of emergencies, this was a new one.
“This isn’t an everyday occurrence,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime.”